This invention generally relates to telecommunications; and more specifically, the invention relates to communications or call centers that receive and transmit communications over both telephone and computer networks. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to a computer controlled communications switch, for use at such call centers, that automatically connects an agent to the appropriate network, either the telephone network or the computer network, depending on which network is being used to make or receive a particular communication call.
In the telecommunications industry, call centers are used to provide customer and operator services for business clients. Traditionally, customers of these business clients place a phone call to a toll-free telephone number to reach a call center customer service agent, and these agents then provide some type of service over the telephone for the customers. In many existing call centers, the service agents use telesets or automated call distribution pads to place and receive telephone calls. These telesets have headsets or handsets that the agents use to communicate with customers.
The telecommunications industry is changing, and for example, more and more people are conducting business on the Internet. Internet telephony is growing in popularity and improving in quality. Some of the advantages of internet telephony include application sharing, white boarding, and the ability to make calls without a telephone.
In order for the customer service agents at call centers to also participate in voice over internet telephony, it is necessary that those agents be provided with equipment that will enable them to conduct voice communication over the internet as well as over conventional telephone networks. One way to do this is to provide the call center agents with expensive internet telephony gateways that will link the automated call distribution pads to the Internet, or the agents may use a speaker and microphone connected to personal computers. Another option is to equip the agents with a headset that will work with both their telesets and their personal computers.
Standard current amplified headsets are four wire devices. In these devices, two wires are used for the microphone, and the other two wires are for the earpiece. Typical personal computer microphones and speakers also are each a two-wire device, and it is not difficult to connect a standard headset to a personal computer. There are devices presently available that allow a single headset to work with both a personal computer and a telephone, and for example, the headset may include a switch, referred to as a PC switch, to allow the headset to communicate with a personal computer.
One disadvantage with these switches is that they are manually controlled. This may not be a significant problem for the ordinary individual that is making outbound calls on a telephone or listening to audio on a personal computer. However, in a call center environment, systems are automated and often the telephone does not even ring--calls are delivered when agents are available. Under these circumstances, it would be very confusing for the agent to have to manually switch between the personal computer and the teleset to handle internet calls and telephone network calls.